President Optimistic Court Will Let ACA Subsidies Stand

At a June 8 news conference, President Barack Obama appeared optimistic that the U.S. Supreme Court would rule in favor of the administration in a case involving subsidies offered to people who purchase coverage in federally-run health insurance marketplaces...

June 19, 2015

At a June 8 news conference, President Barack Obama appeared optimistic that the U.S. Supreme Court would rule in favor of the administration in a case involving subsidies offered to people who purchase coverage in federally-run health insurance marketplaces. He said a ruling that strikes down the subsidies would be a "contorted reading" of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and disrupt coverage for millions of individuals.

"This should be an easy case. Frankly, it probably shouldn't have even been taken up," Obama said. "It's important for us to go ahead and assume that the Supreme Court is going to do what most legal scholars who have looked at this would expect them to. I'm optimistic that the Supreme Court will play it straight."

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit before the Supreme Court,King v. Burwell, say the Obama administration is unlawfully providing subsidies to people buying health insurance in Pennsylvania and the approximately 36 other states using healthcare.gov, based on one phrase in one place in the 1,000-page health insurance reform law: "established by the state." A decision is expected later this month.